He should be fired (should have been awhile ago) and a domestic manager (Bradley/GGG/Sarachan/Schmetzer/Callahan etc etc) type should be brought in. We’re past the point of emergency. This dude has no idea what he’s doing. And whats worst is I don’t think he cares at all.
I guarantee there will be an article absolutely trashing his tenure here after he leaves the team. Whether it be his apathy coaching or his lack of communication. There’ll be multiple accounts of anonymous sources repeating that notion and the concerns they have.
Yea you’re right. No/minimal communication with players, no dual national recruiting, incoherent roster selections, no cohesion. This is firmly in JK players taking over and doing their own thing territory. At some point the Pulisic/Adams/McKennie gang will have to take things into their own hands (if Poch even has the minimum capability of starting our best players)
Some of this stuff can be fixed with personnel. Bethalter. I like him. He has too many holes in his game. His passing isn’t up to it, and it seems whenever there’s a missed tackle or a rope a dope jail break, there’s number 8. Tonight, he made me miss Luca, and I’m not a fan. He has one skill that translates. That ball that hit Richards in the nuts bent 90 degrees behind that wall, just sick. I can see bringing him as a bust glass type last player, bring him in when desperate and have him stay out of the way until he gets his set piece. Of course Poch would probably be cool with Puli taking the kick from the player who’s only purpose is to take that kick, but I digress. But you can’t play him, can’t start him in any game that matters when there are just too many better options. Wes, Musah, Tillman, Johnny, Dest inside, Morris, Tessman, waiting on Reyna. That’s an easy one. Luna. Love him. Puts in the work, did it again tonight, our best presser. Shouldn’t be a starter in a match that matters. Wild card sub? I say hell yes. You don’t have to hide him when against the ball and he can fit where needed in attack. But for me, the lack of consistent final product or lack of consistent touch or control isn’t conducive to a starter right now (Pulisic was no better tonight but we know his track record you take the bad with the good). This one is trickier. Tillman is the obvious starter, but if he’s not available, I still think we need another layer before we get to Luna as starter. I’d advocate for Wes, though some might say he’s just as volatile in possession as Luna, and I might agree. But what tips the scales for me is his chemistry with guys like Dest, Weah and even Musah. Those guys have combined well in the past. And of course, as always, waiting on Reyna. Sargent. If what we saw tonight is the base level we get from Balogun, you start him. Waiting on Pepi, but if he can’t go, for me it has to be Haji Wright as number two, not Sargent. What I like about Haji is he can create that sliver of space against a tight defense and get a shot off quick. He doesn’t need as much time and space as Sargent to be effective. But if Pepi is healthy and has played at club he’s my number two, number 3 doesn’t matter as much because if they’re playing it’s probably over anyway. Even then I’d lean Wright because if I’m throwing a third striker on in desperation I think he’s the more likely to score because of the attributes I mentioned. Arfsten. He showed me something with some nice desperation defending in the second half, covering for Ream when balls got behind him. Still, he’s such a fish out of water I almost feel bad for him. It’s not natural for him. Do I go, do I stay, do I carry, do I pass, do I pass and make a run, do I pass and stay back? It’s all swirling around in his head. If he played fullback for Columbus I’d think maybe he can overcome that. But he doesn’t and for this reason I don’t think he should make the cut at all. There are better, certainly safer, options. If Jedi can’t go, move Dest over, play Scally there, even Weah or Musah. I’d even advocate for Tolkin, fullback is second nature to him, he doesn’t have to make computations moment to moment. I’d rather take Freeman for general cover than Arfsten because he has played and will continue playing fullback for his club. Ream. He’s been a warrior and has a sweet left foot but he just can’t run with these guys anymore. There’s nowhere to hide, teams will gun for him I know it. Unless you keep Adams sat in his lap, he can’t start in the WC. This is the hardest one. Right now there’s Richards and ugh after him. Heaven help us all if Richards goes down, but I digress. The choices are so slim, you almost have to call McKenzie and give him all the minutes with Richards and pray they build chemistry and that McKenzie staves off the yips. This is no guarantee of success, but it’s the best shot we have, imo. Number 3 is Miles Robinson, and with his form the last year or so that’s kind of dire but at least he can run. Bring him and hope he doesn’t have to play meaningful minutes. I wouldn’t bring Ream at all, I’d take CCV before him and I’m not a fan, but to me he’s simply a better defender than Ream now. But if Ream is number four, I’ll make that deal as long as he stays there. What a story Banks would be. I’d say waiting on Banks here but I read he just had an MRI, some kind of knock? Just our luck if he can’t go against Japan.
Yes. Unfortunately the US soccer media is absolutely toothless. Poch would be getting absolutely savaged in any other country for his stewardship of this team so far.
It sure doesn't look like it. Seems like he is getting off trolling the fans and media in his pressers now also. Appears as if he thinks the whole thing is one big joke, and the joke is on us.
Imagine? I did it. And being as your posts would be heavily in the receipts, I understand why you would be so defensive. Did we try things in the friendly? Did we learn things in the friendly? I did. And I mean like actual soccer things, not just “well Poch sucks at his job”.
I think we learned something. First half 3 shots to 4 1 shot on target to 3 0 big chances to 2 1 corner each 52% possession to 48% Second half 14 shots to 1 4 shots on target to 1 3 big chances to 0 5 corners to 2 55% to 45% We still can't convert chances to goals; whatever changes Poch made at half- time made a big difference; Son is still a world-class player.
It would be an absolute pleasure to have some of my posts be a part of another Conor Casey v Honduras type compilation. I hope the turnaround starts soon.
My kingdom for BJ Callaghan. Our player pool is such that our 23 roster should be glaringly obvious (save 2-3 spots which are always up from grabs as well as our starting 11 (you could argue a player or two). We’d be better served with a coach that would make the obvious personnel choices and just roll the ball out there than Poch’s madness. It reminds me of Klinsmann’s arrogance of leaving Landon out of the World Cup or calling in Morris from college or what’s-his-name from the USL. Poch thinks he is smarter than everyone else, but the wisdom of the crowd puts him to shame.
Wilfried Nancy. The most tactically astute manager in MLS. Knows US & MLS players. Has been around enough to probably be familiar with the whole player pool. He's my in case of emergency break glass guy. I've got the hammer in my hand...starting to think it's time.
I feel sorry for Pochettino in regards to the 2025 Gold Cup. To me, it was pretty obvious that a lot of the best US players would want to skip the tournament once the 2024 Copa America was put into place. I was posting about this possibility on here before the 2024 Copa America and before Pochettino was even a remote possibility. But I remember being surprised about how much pushback my posts on the subject received, and I don't think anybody in a position to discuss plans for 2025 with Pochettino really pointed this out as a serious possibility to him. So although I am frustrated at many of Pochettino's decisions, if there is turmoil in the locker room, then I see it as much on USSF as him.
I think if Berhalter had been the coach it would have been a full B team Gold Cup without question as he was already super familiar with the pool and the top guys would have had played for him plenty. Whereas for Pochettino it was a missed opportunity because it was his only time pre World Cup to spend a sustained amount of time with the team.
I like Nancy and he’d be my top MLS option but I don’t think he’d be a short term fix. You’d want him at the beginning of a cycle not with less than a year to go. Pochettino is not getting fired but if he did you’d be looking at a Bruce Arena type (not saying him but someone with that sort of profile).
If a last minute change is made it will be Bob Bradley with Michael as an assistant. Probably won’t happen unless the 2026 run up brings crazy levels of dire play.
Nobody is a fix for this short a time period, The advantage of using Nancy is getting him before he's off to coach in Europe. I think he's sharp enough to limit damage now and then he'll be in place for the next cycle.
Schmetzer actually made comments about wanting to coach the US national team just a few days ago: https://old.reddit.com/r/ussoccer/comments/1n7l8yv/brian_schmetzer_reiterates_openness_to_coaching/ I believe this is a Seattle sports radio show or podcast.